An antidote against atheisme, or, An appeal to the natural faculties of the minde of man, whether there be not a God by Henry More ...

CHAP▪ X.

Naturall Conscience, and Religious Veneration, argu∣ments of the Existence of God.

HItherto we have argued for the Existency of the God-head from the naturall Idea of God, insepa∣rably and immutably risiding in the Soul of Man. There are also other arguments may be drawn from what we may observe to stick very close to mans nature, and such is Na∣turall remorse of Conscience, and a feare and disturbance from the committing of such things as notwithstanding are not punishable by men: As also a naturall hope of being prosperous and successefull in doing those things which are conceived by us to be good & righteous; And lastly Religious

Veneration or Divine worship; All which are fruits unforced∣ly and easily growing out of the nature of man; and if we rightly know the meaning of them, they all intimate that there is a God.

And first of Naturall Conscience it is plain that it is a fear and confusion of Mind arising from the presage of some mischief that may be••all a man beside the ordinary course of Nature, or the usuall occurrences of affaires, because he has done thus or thus. Not that what is supernatural or absolutely extraordinary must needs fall upon him, but that at least the ordinary calamityes and misfortunes, which are in the world, will be directed and levelled at him sometime or o∣ther, because he hath done this or that Evill against his Con∣science. And men doe naturally in some heavy Adversity, mighty Tempest on the Sea or dreadfull Thunder on the Land (though these be but from Naturall Causes) reflect upon themselves and their actions, and so are invaded with fear, or are unterrifide, accordingly as they condemne or acquit themselves in their own Consciences. And from this supposall is that magnificent Expression of the Poet concer∣cerning the just man

Nec fulminant is magna Jovis manus,

That he is not affrayd of the darting down of Thunder and Lightening from Heaven. But this fear, that one should bee struck rather then the rest, or at this time rather then another time, because a man has done thus or thus, is a na∣turall acknowledgment that these things are guided and directed from some discerning principle, which is all one as to confesse that there is a God. Nor is it materiall that some alledge that Marmers curse and swear the lowdest when the storm is the greatest, for it is because the usualnesse of such dangers have made them loose the sense of the danger, not the sense of a God.

It is also very naturall for a man that follows honestly the

dictates of his own Conscience, to be full of good hopes, and much at ease, and secure that all things at home and abroad will goe successfully with him, though his actions or sin∣cere motions of his Mind act nothing upon Nature or the course of the world to change them any way: wherefore it implyes that there is a Superintendent Principle over Na∣ture, and the materiall frame of the world, that looks to it so that nothing shall come to passe, but what is consistent with the good and welfare of honest and conscientious Men. And if it does not happen to them according to their expecta∣tions in this world, it does naturally bring in a belief of a world to come.

Nor does it at all enervate the strength of this Argument that some men have lost the sense and difference betwixt good and evill, if there be any so fully degenerate; but let us suppose it, this is a monster, and I suspect of his own ma∣king. But this is no more prejudice to what I ayme at, who argue from the Naturall constitution of a Man the Existen∣cy of a God; then if because Democritus put out his Eyes, some are born blind, others drink out their Eyes and cannot see, that therefore you should conclude that there is neither Light nor Colours: For if there were, then every one would see them, but Democritus and some others doe not see them. But the reason is plain, there hath been force done to their Naturall Facultyes and they have put out their sight.

Wherefore I conclude from naturall Conscience in a Man that puts him upon hope and fear of Good and Evill from what he does or omits, though those actions and omis∣sions doe nothing to the change of the course of Nature or the affaires of the world, that there is an Intelligent Principle over universall Nature that takes notice of the Actions of Men▪ that is that there is a God; for else this Naturall Fa∣culty would be false and vaine.

Now for Adoration or Religious Worship it is as univer∣sall as mankind, there being no Nation under the Cope

of heaven that does not do divine worship to something or other, and in it to God as they conceive; wherefore ac∣cording to the ordinary naturall light that is in all men, there is a God.

Nor can the force of this Argument be avoyded, by saying it is but an universall Tradition that has been time out of mind spread among the Nations of the world. For if it were so (which yet cannot at all be proved) in that it is universally received, it is manifest that it is according to the light of Nature to acknowledge there is a God. For that which all men admit as true, though upon the proposall of another, is undoubtedly to be termed true according to the light of Nature. As many hundreds of Geometricall De∣monstrations that were first the inventions of some one man, have passed undenyable through all ages and places for true, according to the light of Nature, with them that were but Learners not Inventours of them. And it is suffi∣cient to make a thing true according to the light of Nature, that no man upon a perception of what is propounded and the reasons of it (if it be not cleare at the first sight and need ••easons to back it) will ever stick to acknowledge for a Truth. And therefore if there were any Nations that were destitute of the knowledge of a God, as they may be it is likely of the Rudiments of Geometry, so long as they will admit of the knowledge of one as well as of the other, upon due and ••it proposall; the acknowledgment of a God is as well to be said to be according to the light of Nature, as the knowledge of Geometry which they thus receive.

But if it be here objected that a thing may be universal∣ly receiv'd of all Nations and yet be so farre from being true according to the light of Nature, that it is not true at all▪ As for example that the Sun moves about the Earth, and that the Earth stands still as the fix'd Center of the world, which the best of Astronomers and the profoundest

of Philosophers pronounce to be false: I answere that in some sense it does stand still, if you understand by Motion the translation of a body out of the vicinity of other bodyes. But suppose it did not stand still, this comes not home to our Case; For this is but the just victory of Reason over the general prejudice of Sense; and every one will ac∣knowledge that Reason may correct the Impresses of Sense, otherwise we should admit the Sun and Moon to be no wi∣der then a Sive, and the bodyes of the Starrs to be no bigger then the ordinary flame of a Candle. Therefore you see here is a clashing of the faculties one against another, and the stronger carryes it. But there is no faculty that can be pre∣tended to clash with the judgement of Reason and natural Sagacity that so easily either concludes or presages that there is a God: wherefore that may well go for a Truth ac∣cording to the light of Nature that is universally received of men, be it by what faculty it will they receive it, no other faculty appearing that can evidence to the contrary. And such is the universall acknowledgment that there is a God.

Nor is it much more materiall to reply, That though there be indeed a Religious Worship excercised in all Nations upon the face of the Earth, yet they worship many of them but stocks and stones, or some particular piece of Nature, as the Sunne, Moon, or Starrs; For I answer, That first it is very hard to prove that they worship any Image or Sta∣tue, without reference to some Spirit at least, if not to the omnipotent God. So that we shall hence at least win thus much, that there are in the Universe some more subtile and Immateriall Substances that take notice of the affairs of Men, and this is as ill to a slow Atheist, as to believe that there is a God.

And for that adoration some of them do to the Sunne and Moon, I cannot believe they do it to them under the Notion of mere Inanimate Bodies, but they take them to be the habitation of some Intellectuall Beings, as that verse does plainly intimate to us,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Sun that hears and sees all things; and this is very neer the true No∣tion of a God.

But be this universall Religious Worship what it will, as absurd as you please to fancy it, yet it will not faile to reach very farre for the proving of a Deity. For there is no naturall Faculties in things that have not their object in the world; as there is meat as well as mouths, sounds as well as hearing, colours as well as sight, dangers as well as feare, and the like. So there ought in like manner to be a God as well as a naturall propension in men to Religious Worship, God alone being the proper Object thereof.

Nor does it abate the strength of the Argument that this so deeply radicated property of Religion in Man, that can∣not be lost, does so ineptly and ridiculously display it self in Manking.

For as the plying of a Dogges ••eet in this sleep, as if there were some game before him, and the butting of a yong lambe before he has yet either hornes or Enemies to encoun∣ter, would not be in Nature, were there not such a thing as a Hare to be coursed, and an horned Enemy to be in∣countred with horns: So there would not be so universall an Excercise of Religious Worship in the world, though it be done never so ineptly and foolishly, were there not real∣ly a due Object of this worship, and a capacity in Man for the right performance thereof; which could not be unlesse there were a God.

But the Truth is, Mans Soul in this drunken drowsy con∣dition she is in has fallen asleep in the body, and like one in a dreame talks to the bed-posts, embraces her pillow in∣stead of her friend, falls down before statues in stead of ado∣ring the Eternall and Invisible God, prayes to stocks and stones instead of speaking to him that by his word created all things.

I but you will reply that a yong Lambe has at length both his weapon and an Enemy to encounter, and the drea∣ming Dogge did once and may again pursue some reall game; And so he that talks in his sleep did once conferre with men awake, and may do so again; But whole Na∣tions for many successions of Ages have been very stupid Idolaters, and do so continue to this day. But I answere that this rather informes us of another great mystery, then at all enervates the present argument or obscures the grand truth we strive for. For this does plainly insinuate thus much, that Mankind is in a laps'd condition, like one fal∣len down in the fit of an Epilepsy, whose limbes by force of the convulsion are moved very incomposedly and illfa∣vourdly; but we know that he that does for the present move the members of his Body so rudely and fortuitously, did before command the use of his Muscles in a decent ex∣ercise of his progressive faculty, and that when the fit is over he will doe so again.

This therefore rather implyes that these poore barbarous Souls had once the true knowledge of God, and of his wor∣ship, and by some hidden providence may be recover'd into it again; then that this propension to Religious Worship, that so conspicuously appeares in them, should be utterly in vain: As it would be both in them and in all men else if there were no God.